Angel Pagan won’t be playing center field tonight for the Mets, and the team doesn’t know when his oblique injury will allow him back on the field.

Pagan had a setback Thursday after playing a rehab game with Class-A St. Lucie and was examined last night in New York. He had an MRI exam and was diagnosed with “point tenderness,” meaning his left side is painful to the touch.

He’ll be held out of baseball activities until he’s pain free, and is expected to go back to Florida tomorrow.

“He had some reoccurring pain, discomfort in his side,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “He’d been feeling fine and then after [Thursday’s] game, he felt he could swing, but knowing we were hoping he’d be here [tomorrow], we felt he wasn’t ready for that.”

That will keep Jason Pridie, who had appeared set to be sent back down, in center.

“We need him back and we want him back,” Collins said of Pagan, who has struggled so far this season, even before the injury. “We’ve gotta make sure he’s ready to play and he’s not.”

➤ Josh Thole returned to the starting lineup last night after being benched for two games while he tried to regain his form behind the plate.

And after the pre-game first pitch skipped between his legs, Thole was OK.

“I’m trying to find my comfort zone,” said Thole, who went 1-for-4 and had no other miscues. “I feel like I did that.”

Collins is hopeful that’s the case. “He’s gonna be OK,” Collins said.

Thole thinks he’s a victim of bad timing.

“It’s a bad month,” said Thole, who has seven passed balls this year. “If this was July, I don’t think we’d even be talking about it. But my numbers don’t look good because it’s still early in the season.”

Thole may not catch R.A. Dickey tomorrow, though. Ronny Paulino had another bullpen session with the knuckler yesterday and Collins would like to use him against Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw.

Paulino said he’s getting more comfortable catching the knuckleball.

“I have to get there,” Paulino said.

➤ Bobby Parnell is slated to pitch in an extended spring training game today. And if all goes well, he will pitch in two or three more games and “hopefully be ready to go” by the middle of next week, Collins said.